Next Up Charges

You should have anything added without your consent, of course, but adding Next Up is kind of the default since it can only be added at the time of sale. 

You don't have to call AT&T. You can remove Next Up yourself by logging into your account. I would think that after 2nd, 3rd, or especially 4th time it happens, you'd think the to verify your order and make sure the account is set up as you requested. 

Yes, but I specifically asked that it NOT be added at the time of purchase on FIVE occasions.  It should have never been added in the first place and I know I can go online and remove it, which I did, but it was still on my next bill and that doesn't get me a refund.  

And you would also think that I SHOULDN'T HAVE to verify my phone bill each month and go through it with a fine tooth comb to make sure it was being done correctly.  Especially when each employee ASSURED me it was taken off at the time of purchase.  Thanks for your helpful comments.

You can also dispute charges that are on your bill. Link to the dispute form.

https://www.att.com/help/notice-of-dispute/

You can also get online and file a Better Business Bureau complaint. The complaint doesn't actually do anything other than forward the complaint back to AT&T upper management. Apple management will usually call you if that is your preferred method of contact. The call will not be coming from an ID that shows as AT&T, but it also should not be identified as spam. Please answer the phone when they call.

I SHOULDN'T HAVE to verify my phone bill each month

Yes, you should. With every single bill you pay. 

Thank you for your post!  The only problem I have with calling, is that the person who answers does not have the authority to credit back immediately and it takes hours to get problems resolved.  When I finished paying off one of the last phones, two days before my bill was due (which I had already paid in full the day it came out) they went back and recharged me every payment that I have made (30 payments individually) and showed that I had a balance of over $500.  When I called, it literally took forever for them to tell me it was a billing error (not sure how that happens) and they would credit my next bill.  I was so angry bc I didn't want it to look like I hadn't paid my bill and affect my credit.  That is just ridiculous that something like that couldn't have been handled immediately.  I am sure that I could have stayed on the phone a few more hours and talked with someone higher up, but I did not have the patience at that point.  Instead, I settled on him placing my bill on a payment plan, and it was credited to my next bill without it affecting my credit.  

Well, you must have way more free time than I do!  You SHOULD be able to trust the companies that you do business with.  That however, is my mistake in doing business when someone that I cannot trust.  And, if you have nothing helpful to say, I would appreciate you refraining from commenting.  

@Maegan96

the person who answers does not have the authority to credit back immediately

If they are being asked to credit five or $6 next up charges, at most that's going to be $36 which absolutely they do have the authority to make such a credit.  Anyone who is telling you they can't make a $36 credit is blowing smoke...  

Larger credits are a bigger problem.  If it were a very large credit of $100 or more that I might believe. The loyalty department has the authorization to make larger credits. 

When I finished paying off one of the last phones,

How?  Online with debit/credit card? 

two days before my bill was due (which I had already paid in full the day it came out)

AT&T's Billing System is antique. But I can predict what went wrong. Every month the installment for that month is included in the bill and paying off the phone in full after the installment payment had already been made would have resulted in a credit for a single installment payment for that particular month. Final installment payments are often lower than the regular monthly payment. My guess is the Billing System tried to account for that credit and completely messed it up. I don't know which is worse human error, or computer foul up. 

they went back and recharged me every payment that I have made (30 payments individually) and showed that I had a balance of over $500. 

🤦🏼‍♀️. AT&T is spending money with a group of programmers to pretty up the community forum instead of fixing their antique Billing System. Probably because that would cost more. 

When I called, it literally took forever for them to tell me it was a billing error (not sure how that happens) and they would credit my next bill.  I was so angry bc I didn't want it to look like I hadn't paid my bill and affect my credit.

Save that link to the dispute form for future reference. Anytime there is an error in your bill, you can call and as soon as you get the phone tree use the keywords "cancel service", and you will be transferred directly to the loyalty department. A billing error like this would have been obvious to anyone with a brain. Brains are only contained in the loyalty department and upper management. Regular CSRs are not required to have a brain, but are instead expected to follow company policy blindly no matter what. In other words they don't have the free will to make a large credit or correct a Monumental billing error of $500. 

An error like this is not going to be reported on your credit, so you don't have to worry about it damaging your credit rating. In action over a couple of months might cause it to be reported, but you aren't going to let it get that far. You're going to use Better Business Bureau complaints, calls to the loyalty department the dispute form to cut AT&T off at the pass

I SHOULDN'T HAVE to verify my phone bill each month

Yes, you should. With every single bill you pay.

Well, you must have way more free time than I do!  You SHOULD be able to trust the companies that you do business with.  That however, is my mistake in doing business when someone that I cannot trust.  And, if you have nothing helpful to say, I would appreciate you refraining from commenting. 

Up until recently I was barely scraping by working 16 hour days. I could not afford an error on my bill that would cost me even $100. I own my own home, and have no debt. But property taxes and other household expenses are considerable in the state where I live. Even working 16-hour days to make ends meet, I made the time.  Absolutely everything is online so that no matter where I am I can look at my bills when posted, and make sure that they are correct.  I read through my debit and credit card statements, I read through my bank statements. And I review my bills to make sure they are as expected.  This doesn't usually take very long.   

    So I'm going to back up @MicCheck comment 100%.   Computers make mistakes. People make mistakes.  It's on us to catch them.   Did you know most credit cards only give you a limited amount of time to dispute fraudulent or incorrect charges? Some of them don't even allow you to dispute a charge if you have already paid that month's bill. But most of them give you between 60 and 90 days and after that you can't get your money back. Service providers also have a limited amount of time to dispute incorrect charges. AT&T and Verizon now allow you 180 days.   

I will add that I have never had the number of problems that you are mentioning with any service provider and definitely not with AT&T.  If I had the number of problems that you have mentioned, I might reevaluate who my provider would be. But I absolutely would keep them on a permanent short leash, as they have given me no reason to trust them.